 Anna
University Cultural
Group, Chennai, recently staged an impressive play in Tamil,
titled ‘Diraviyam Thedi’ (In pursuit of wealth) at the YGP
Auditorium, Bharat
Kalachar, T. Nagar. The theme was the self-centered, meaningless
pursuit of money at all cost, brain-drain and arrogant abuse of
power.
Dr Kamal Nath’s (P V Raj Kumar) daughter Janu (V Swathika)
wins a prestigious prize in a nationwide drawing competition,
thanks to her friend and classmate Vivek (P Varun Mitra), a
cobbler's son and platform-dweller whose thought-provoking
slogan clinched the happy result.
As events turn out, Vivek faints suddenly at the school day
function. Avaricious Dr Kamal Nath, who is keen on a foreign
posting, diagnoses a serious heart ailment and recommends an
operation only at his private clinic. This would cost poor Vivek
several lakhs of rupees. All efforts to enlist the doctor's
sympathetic cooperation are of no avail.
Also, the local civic body wants to demolish the platform,
the Ganesha
shrine thereon and evict the dwellers en masse. Frantic efforts
to thwart this move seem hopeless. Well, to put it all in a
nutshell, all is well that ends well and everyone is happy in
the end.
The 11-member cast, five school students and six university
office staff, put in a brave, well-tutored effort to highlight
the sentimental theme, directed and authored by G Sivakumar, in
a forceful manner.
 The
presentation had contrived situations aplenty. However, the
dialogues, tearjerkers often, support the denouement reasonably
well. Apart from the three main character artistes - the doctor,
his daughter and her classmate - the other eight dramatis
personae also put in a lively performance.
Cobbler Mayandi (S Sathya), advocate Auraamudan (Vignesh),
auto driver Arunachalam (M Balasundaram) - Good
Samaritan-fighter, temple gurukkal (G. Sivakumar), Nithu the
doctor’s wife (A R Noorjahan), school teacher (M Tarabai),
Husain Bai the materials supplier to the cobbler (S Babu Sankar)
and the hospital patient (M Md. Ali Jinnah) propped up the play
commendably.
Considering that the entire play is an in-house affair
portraying the complexities of day-to-day human existence and
the general lack of values, this amateur play deserves
appreciation. The underlying lesson is that there is no problem
that cannot be resolved given the right approach and helpful
attitude. ‘Diraviyam Thedi’ is a praiseworthy effort that
needs encouragement.
R Srinivasan
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Is Money everything?
